49ers’ practice report: Foster debuts with INT

Updated 6:01 pm, Friday, July 28, 2017

The report from the 49ers’ first practice of training camp Friday morning:

Weather: 70 degrees and sunny.

Length of practice: 1 hour, 57 minutes

Schedule: The 49ers will return to practice at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Injury report: Undrafted rookie WR BJ Johnson left the field with assistance due to an injury to his left leg. He later returned to the sideline and wasn’t walking with a limp. … CB Dontae Johnson was briefly sidelined after tweaking his right shoulder. … S Jimmie Ward (hamstring) was placed on PUP on Friday morning and was replaced in the starting lineup by Jaquiski Tartt. The 49ers other safeties are Vinnie Sunseri and undrafted rookies Lorenzo Jerome and Chanceller James.

Mountainous challenge: The 49ers have installed a training hill adjacent to their weight room. Some numbers: It’s at least 30 feet tall, 19 feet wide and has a 30-degree incline and 60-foot ramp.

CEO Jed York raced 49ers.com writer Joe Fann up the hill twice during practice and had a pair of runner-up finishes.

Fan involvement: The 49ers have put in three sets of aluminum bleachers, along with a large covered area that includes tables and chairs for training camp. Many of the seats will be occupied by suite owners, season-ticket holders, players’ families and fans who win contests.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch hope the presence of fans will add some energy to practices. The 49ers only public practice is Aug. 5 at Levi’s Stadium.

Foster flashes: Rookie ILB Reuben Foster made an impression in the first NFL practice in which he was a full participant.

The first-round pick intercepted a tipped pass thrown by rookie C.J. Beathard that was deflected by cornerback Prince Charles Iworah. Foster was mostly a spectator during offseason practices after undergoing shoulder surgery before the combine.

“It was good to get him out there, get him on the field,” Shanahan said. “I know he’s been chomping at the bit for a while now. It was good to see him go through it full speed, deal with getting aligned right and stuff … It was a good first day.”

Trash talk: Robinson began barking at WR Aldrick Robinson after a sideline pass fell incomplete. Robinson is known for his trash talking and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has said he wants his players to be themselves. In other words, Robinson will keep hollering at his teammates.

Quick hits: Rookie TE George Kittle couldn’t corral a pass that smacked him in the facemask, but had a nice sliding catch a few minutes later during 7-on-7 drills. Kittle was the first player Malcolm Smith mentioned when he was asked about the TE group. … The prettiest pass of the day: A sideline floater QB Brian Hoyer completed to Robinson that sailed just over the outstretched arms of CB K’Waun Williams. … LB Eli Harold had a strong practice in which he batted a pass from Matt Barkley that was picked off by LB Ronald Blair. … Undrafted rookie QB Nick Mullens completed a deep back-shoulder pass to WR DeAndre Smelter, who was being covered tightly by Iworah. … Rookie QB C.J. Beathard doesn’t have a strong arm. His deep pass to RB Joe Williams was broken up by ILB Ray-Ray Armstrong. Beathard also fired an over-the-middle wobbler that fell incomplete.

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